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A Remote and Disputed Corner of Africa is Cheering Trump

A Remote and Disputed Corner of Africa is Cheering Trump

Bloomberg07-05-2025

The blue of the Atlantic glitters on the horizon as trucks, cranes and hundreds of workers transform an obscure swath of desert into a crucial trade link. A new causeway extends more than a mile into the ocean, divided into harbors that will eventually load phosphate, gas and seafood bound for European and Latin American shores.
It's all part of Dakhla Atlantic Port, a $1.2 billion project that promises to connect a disputed corner of Africa with the rest of the world thanks, paradoxically, to the man who is now upending globalization.

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Vodacom Group Limited (JSE:VOD) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 4.6% Yield
Vodacom Group Limited (JSE:VOD) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 4.6% Yield

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Vodacom Group Limited (JSE:VOD) Is About To Go Ex-Dividend, And It Pays A 4.6% Yield

Vodacom Group Limited (JSE:VOD) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next two days. The ex-dividend date is commonly two business days before the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be present on the company's books to be eligible for a dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase Vodacom Group's shares before the 18th of June in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 23rd of June. The company's upcoming dividend is R03.35 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of R6.20 per share to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Vodacom Group stock has a trailing yield of around 4.6% on the current share price of R0135.09. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Vodacom Group paid out more than half (72%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. Yet cash flows are even more important than profits for assessing a dividend, so we need to see if the company generated enough cash to pay its distribution. Fortunately, it paid out only 40% of its free cash flow in the past year. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. Check out our latest analysis for Vodacom Group Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Stocks with flat earnings can still be attractive dividend payers, but it is important to be more conservative with your approach and demand a greater margin for safety when it comes to dividend sustainability. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. That explains why we're not overly excited about Vodacom Group's flat earnings over the past five years. It's better than seeing them drop, certainly, but over the long term, all of the best dividend stocks are able to meaningfully grow their earnings per share. Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Vodacom Group has seen its dividend decline 2.6% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. Has Vodacom Group got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? We're not enthused by the flat earnings per share, although at least the company's payout ratio is within reasonable bounds. Additionally, it paid out a lower percentage of its free cash flow, so at least it generated more cash than it spent on dividends. It might be worth researching if the company is reinvesting in growth projects that could grow earnings and dividends in the future, but for now we're not all that optimistic on its dividend prospects. If you're not too concerned about Vodacom Group's ability to pay dividends, you should still be mindful of some of the other risks that this business faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Vodacom Group and understanding them should be part of your investment process. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio

Read This Before Considering Mitie Group plc (LON:MTO) For Its Upcoming UK£0.03 Dividend
Read This Before Considering Mitie Group plc (LON:MTO) For Its Upcoming UK£0.03 Dividend

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Sorry Sadiq, you're talking rubbish - the idea London is being 'levelled down' is laughable
Sorry Sadiq, you're talking rubbish - the idea London is being 'levelled down' is laughable

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Sorry Sadiq, you're talking rubbish - the idea London is being 'levelled down' is laughable

Stories of London feeling 'short-changed' had been circulating in the run up to the Spending Review this week. Then, moments after Rachel Reeves revealed her spending plans, Sadiq Khan actually said it. He had the gall to suggest London is being 'levelled down'. The mayor was moaning that there was no commitment from the Chancellor to invest in new infrastructure that the capital needs. He talked of plans to extend the Docklands Light Railway. You know? The self-driving trains that have served the capital since 1987. READ MORE: 'I see mums who can't afford to feed their children - how can they afford this?' READ MORE: 'Barbie' Love Island star unmasked as 'business brain' of drug cartel after two Wiganers jailed It would take another five years before the first Metrolink trams were launched in Greater Manchester, serving just a few stops. Decades later, despite the Metrolink having expanded considerably, London's transport network has become even more enormous. Just three years ago, the £19bn Crossrail project was completed with the new Elizabeth line joining the other 11 on the Tube map. Earlier this week, a northern think tank revealed that, if the government had spent the same amount on transport in the North as it did in London over the last 14 years, we would have had £140bn more with the capital getting more than double the funding per person. News last week that the North and Midlands will get more than £15bn for transport over the next five years starts to correct that. The Chancellor has also put another £3.5bn towards the Transpennine Route Upgrade for existing services between Manchester, Leeds and York, and promised to 'take forward' Northern Powerhouse Rail with more details on these plans expected next week. But years of under-investment cannot be reversed in one Spending Review. The gap between London and the rest of the country remains massive - not only when it comes to transport infrastructure, but with economic growth, education and opportunities too. Sir Sadiq is right to say that 'the way to level up other regions is never to level down London'. But that is not what's happening. Of course, the mayor will always make the case for the city he represents - as he should. But his 'us-versus-them' rhetoric is unhelpful. We all want the country to prosper, so investment in regions that have long been neglected should be welcomed in the capital too. It's not Manchester versus London. Comparisons only serve to illustrate how massively underfunded Manchester has been for so long. The idea that London is being 'levelled down' is laughable. The fact that the mayor feels the need to moan about it is quite funny. But if that's how he really feels, well, maybe that's not such a bad thing. Maybe it's time for London to feel that way for a change.

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